Let your slaves and slave-girls (Surah An-Nur 24: 58)

O you who believe! Let your slaves and slave-girls, and those among you who have not come to the age of puberty ask your permission on three occasions: before the Fajr prayer, and while you put off your clothes during the afternoon, and after the `Isha' prayer. (These) three (times) are of privacy for you; other than these times there is no sin on you or on them to move about, attending to each other. Thus Allah makes clear the Ayat to you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.  (Surah An-Nur 24: 58)

The Times when Servants and Young Children should seek Permission to enter

These Ayat include a discussion of how people who are closely related should seek permission to enter upon one another. What was mentioned earlier in the Surah had to do with how unrelated people should seek permission to enter upon one another. Allah commanded the believers to ensure that their servants and their children who have not yet reached puberty should seek permission at three times: the first is before the Fajr prayer, because people are asleep in their beds at that time.

and while you put off your clothes during the afternoon, means, at the time of rest, because a man may be in a state of undress with his wife at that time.

and after the `Isha' prayer   because this is the time for sleep. Servants and children are commanded not to enter upon household members at these times, because it is feared that a man may be in an intimate situation with his wife and so on. Allah says:

(These) three (times) are of privacy for you; other than these times there is no sin on you or on them. If they enter at a time other than these, there is no sin on you if you let them enter, and no sin on them if they see something at a time other than these times. They have been given permission to enter suddenly, because they are those who go around in the house, i.e., to serve you etc., and as such they may be forgiven for things that others will not be forgiven. Although this Ayah is quite clear and has not been abrogated, people hardly follow it, and `Abdullah bin `Abbas (Radhi Allahu Anhu) denounced the people for that. Abu Dawud recorded that Ibn `Abbas (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said: "Most of the people do not follow it, the Ayah that speaks about asking permission, but I tell my servant woman to seek permission to enter.'' Abu Dawud said: `Ata' also narrated that Ibn `Abbas (Radhi Allahu Anhu) commanded this. Ath-Thawri narrated that Musa bin Abi `A'ishah said, "I asked Ash-Sha`bi [about the Ayah]:

Let your slaves and slave-girls ask your permission.  He said, `It has not been abrogated.' I said: `But the people do not do that.' He said, `May Allah help them.'''



Source: Tafsir ibn Kathir (Abridged)